Of course not, and I realized Julieta had talked me into a corner. She should have been a lawyer. So that was the reason I was dressed in my only clubbing dress, with heels that were probably too high. My face was painted for the first time in months, and I kind of looked hot. Maybe I could find a nice guy to kiss tonight, but not take home.

Devan had said to drop Huey off when I was ready, and honestly, I felt more nervous rocking up to their house dressed like this than I did about going out for the first time in months. I stopped in front of the house and tugged at the hem of my dress. Unclipping Huey’s seat, I walked up to the door like I was walking up to the gallows: heart pounding, palms sweaty, my breathing so loud I could hear it echoing in my ears.

As I knocked, the door opened almost immediately. Then I frowned. Rigby’s mom’s smiling face greeted me. “Nova! It’s so good to see you, sweetheart.” She dragged me into a hug, and I patted her back one-handed. I was kind of embarrassed to see her dressed like a hoochie, as my grandmother would say before she died. She stepped back. “Oh, don’t you just look smoking hot.”

“Mrs. Engman, it’s nice to see you again.”

She made a tsking noise. “Lorraine. You must call me Lorraine. Mrs. Engman is my mother-in-law, and that woman is a dragon of epic proportions. Don’t tell Larry I said that,” she whispered conspiratorially. “Boys, Nova’s here,” she yelled over her shoulder, reaching for Huey’s car seat. “Let me take the handsome boy. Hello, sweet thing!”

A man that could only be Rigby’s dad appeared around the corner. He grinned at me, thrusting out his hand. “Larry Engman. You must be Nova. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

I winced. I just bet he had. I stood awkwardly in the doorway. “Are you guys down for a visit?”

Larry nodded, dropping into a squat in front of Huey’s seat with a groan. “Look at you! Such a big strong boy already.” Huey seemed immediately enamored with Larry, kicking his legs. “Look at those hockey legs. See that, Lorraine? Next generation is here. We should give Rigby his old mini’s gear for Huey.”

Lorraine looked at me and rolled her eyes. “I think we might let him get to the crawling stage before we put skates on him, don’t you think?”

Watching them dote on Huey was making feelings well in my chest that would definitely result in me destroying my eye make-up. “I have to get going. Can you let the guys know I’ll pick him up tomorrow morning?”

Lorraine looked over my shoulder. “You can tell them yourself.”